Private investors to take over Abuja, Lagos stadia

The National Stadia in Abuja and Lagos are to be concessioned, the Federal Government said yesterday.

Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi broke the news to State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Minister of Information Labaran Maku co-ordinated the briefing after Abdullahi and Minister of National Planning Dr. Shamsudeen Usman had briefed FEC on the performances and challenges of their ministries last year.

Abdullahi urged other state governments that have not applied to take over the management of the national stadia in their states to do so.

To excel in future sporting activities, he said that the Sports Ministry is, apart from football, focusing on six of the 42 Sporting Federations, including Athletics, Taekwondo, Wrestling, Boxing, Shooting and Weightlifting.

Abdullahi said: “The Enugu Stadium has been approved by the President for release to the Enugu State government. The Bauchi State government has applied to Mr President for us to release the Bauchi Stadium to the Bauchi State government.”

“So, we hope that other state governments will also take on other stadia because it is no longer possible for the Federal Government to continue to maintain these facilities.”

“We will now be left with Lagos and Abuja. You will recall that last year, Mr President set up an inter-ministerial committee to come up with a sustainable plan for managing these two mega sporting structures.”

He went on: “Since then, we have been working with the Infrastructure Concessioning and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to come up with the frame work for concessioning the facilities to the private sector.”

“The ICRC has started advertising projects that could come up under concessioning and they told me that the two stadia, Lagos and Abuja, are among the next round of advertising they will do for concessioning.”

“So, the direction we are heading on these two facilities is concessioning to the private sector people that can operate them.”

According to him, unlike in the past, the Government has been able to provide clear guidelines for the running of sports in Nigeria.

There were 29 court cases in the sports sector when he resumed office, he said, but the various crises have been resolved as there is no court case on sports now.

While maintaining that there is no infighting in the Super Eagles team, Abdulahi said that the Nigeria Football Federation is billed to brief him today on the negotiations in the Super Eagles and the report of the last qualifier match against Kenya.

On the commencement of open heart surgery in Nigeria, the Information Minister said: “Minister of Health Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu announced to the Council that we now have in the country Open Heart Surgery at the University Teaching Hospital at Nsukka, Enugu State.”

“It is costing about N500,000. Nigerians who have heart conditions need not travel abroad anymore,” he stated

Abdulahi also maintained that there had been great achievements in the Sports Ministry and National Planning Commission in 2012.

Odua Investment(s). Please request for take-over of Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan. I assure that if fund to do so is not there, Odua would rally.

Kayode Akanbi

Why did the government build the stadium in the first place? What plan does the private investors has to regenerate the stadium?
When the government cannot take care of federal institution then it is high time to do away with federalism.

OK,good decision, right! Federal Government is now moving Nigeria economy to a better level. Then, what are waiting for ? Why is the NRC. Nigeria Railway now not go public? I am sure in this time of globalization many investors from Cnina, Europe, and even from America will like to come and invest in Nigeria Railway transport because of our large population, railway or tram work with mass transport of goods and people.

OK,good decision, right! Federal Government is now moving Nigeria economy to a better level. Then, what are we waiting for ? Why is the NRC. Nigeria Railway now not go public? I am sure in this time of globalization many investors from China, Europe, and even from America will like to come and invest in Nigeria Railway transport because of our large population, railway or tram work with mass transport of goods and people. It is better the critics allow a good FG plan to work with no distraction or confusion so that the FG can arrive at better level in the time of the operators of government of the day. Tomorrow is there for another operators, so we can pave the way of a better tomorrow for up coming generations.

Hamed Fatai

At least, somebody is thinking now and working for his salary. Let others do the same.